


Check Out, Check In

by elledritchhorror



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH DO NOT READ IF U HAVEN'T LISTENED TO WHAT LIES BEYOND PART 2, NOT ONLY WILL YOU SPOIL YOURSELF THIS WILL MAKE ZERO SENSE, SPOILERS FOR WHAT LIES BEYOND PART 2, but who has time for edits when there are crime families to love, ok now that that's out of the way, please enjoy my immediate thoughts on this ep, this is unedited and i will be punished for my hubris i am sure, which basically boiled down to I LOVE THEM SO MUCH
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:06:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28566666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elledritchhorror/pseuds/elledritchhorror
Summary: Just a little follow up to What Lies Beyond Part 2 (don't read if you haven't listened, there is a reason the spoilers tag is in all caps) because I got really emotional about my babies. Not speculating on what comes next here, this is just me wanting my loves to check in with each other because they deserve it.
Relationships: Jet Sikuliaq & Juno Steel, The Crime Fam being a Family, Vespa Ilkay & Juno Steel
Comments: 10
Kudos: 66





	Check Out, Check In

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO! If you are here I am assuming that you have listened to the new ep and have also shed real tears over it! Welcome, my friends. This little fic is not very good but I am posting it anyway because I need someone to cry with me about this thought.
> 
> Also! This fic is a follow up from the events of the episode so there are obviously warnings here for:  
> references to interrogations  
> references to torture (very minor reference tbh but it's there bc Sasha is here)  
> general anxiety and reflection of poor health and behaviours  
> I think that is it but my brain fog is REAL BAD rn so if you notice anything I missed pls smack me in the comments and I will add it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

They agreed to keep Sasha on the ship while they figured out what the hell was going on and where Nureyev had disappeared to. Juno could tell that Sasha thought it was a stupid idea but he couldn't- _wouldn't_ kill her, and keeping her on the ship with no comms and no backup was the only way they had to stop her from being a problem. Once that was sorted out, Juno had one other thing to say before they moved on.

"Hey, Jet?" Juno asked.

Jet turned to him with an open expression. Juno could see no hostility, no anger, none of the so-called _unnatural disaster_ that he had been asked to unleash. He hadn't expected any, either, though he had thought there might be some wariness. No such thing as far as Juno could tell. He spoke anyway.

"Listen Jet I uh... I just wanted to say I'm sorry. For saying all that to you. It's not-"

"Juno you had to. I am aware that you were giving me instructions, and you did so in a manner that would deceive Director Wire into thinking she had control of the situation. You have nothing to apologise for," Jet said, cutting Juno off. Juno stared at Jet, hopeful and afraid.

"Well yeah but I just wish I could have figured out another way to tell you so I didn't have to say, well, _that_."

It was tough, falling back into old habits. Or rather, it wasn't and that was the problem. He didn't like how easily those insults had come to him, how simple it was to fold the information into bile and vitriol. To taunt with the things that would hurt most.

Jet sighed, then stepped forward and wrapped Juno up in a tight hug. Despite himself, Juno relaxed into it and hugged him back. There were so many things Juno needed to worry about, not least of which Nureyev and where the hell he'd gone, but for just a moment the magic combination of being touched and knowing someone cared enough to try to make him feel better... well it worked.

"You did what you had to do to save us, as did we all. I said something hurtful to give you the opportunity to say something back. But neither of us meant it. I know you do not believe me to be the man I once was, just as you know that I could never regret saving you back on Mars," Jet said, calm and clear. "Does this reassure you?"

Juno nodded into Jet's chest, then pulled away. He looked at Vespa next but she cut him off before he could speak.

"Don't even think about it, Steel, we were running a con. I'm not apologising and neither are you," Vespa growled.

She crossed her arms and glared at him. Juno nodded to her, then took a deep breath and let it all out at once. It didn't calm him down, but it did help him focus on the here and now.

He noticed Sasha staring at them all with a strange look on her face. That was fair enough, Juno figured. She was used to the old Juno Steel, and she'd clearly been relying on him acting like a wounded animal that snapped at any helping hand until enough blood was drawn that they walked away. Hugs and apologies didn't factor into Sasha Wire's experiences with Juno. He regretted that to be honest. In fact he really wished he could give her a hug and an apology right now, but they had work to do and the reason that Sasha knew how to handle Juno so well back in the old days was probably because they were pretty similar. She just hid it better.

"Well, now that that's sorted, we'd best get a move on. We have a missing family member to find," Buddy said. She sounded a lot calmer than she had before. That helped too. "Juno, darling, take Sasha to the brig please. We can work out what we'll do next from there."

Juno didn't reply, just turned around and took Sasha's arm, gently. She didn't protest. Maybe she didn't mind, more likely she knew she didn't have a choice and was being pragmatic about it. She looked deep in thought. They almost reached the brig doors when Sasha spoke.

"You've changed a lot, Juno. You..." she trailed off.

"I...?" Juno prompted her. They stood in the hallway, not moving. Sasha sighed.

"You're better than you were before. You're healthier, and you're... I don't know. Kinder, maybe? You were always kind in your own way but you never showed it if you could avoid it. Now you're apologising and it's not even hard for you and I just-" she cut herself off. Juno waited. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Juno."

Juno took her the rest of the way to the brig and opened the doors. Sasha stepped over the threshold herself without complaint and made her way to the middle of the room. Juno looked at her for a moment.

"I do know what I'm doing Sasha. My family is the most important thing to me, and I'll protect it no matter what. I hope you know that now," Juno said. Sasha didn't respond but Juno didn't really expect her too. He closed and locked the door, then checked through the window in the door one last time. Sasha hadn't moved. Juno made his way back to the rest of the group, thinking as he went. No matter what she'd threatened today, Juno knew that Sasha was trying to do the right thing. He said what he meant, he would save his family, including her. Juno hoped she understood.


End file.
